The UK’s official statistics agency released its November sales report on Friday and it wasn’t great. But perhaps more useful was the CBI’s holiday trading retail report as its showed how retailers are faring just about now.
Photo: Pexels/Public domain
And the news? Its distributive trades survey showed retailers are facing “bleak holiday trading as [the] sales outlook darkens”.
The survey is based on the weighted number of retailers who said sales fell, stayed static or rose, regardless of whether those rises or falls were big or small.
It showed that retail sales volumes fell “at an accelerated rate in the year to December, extending a period of weakness that began in mid-2023”.
And the New Year is “expected to start on a gloomy note for the retail sector. Retailers anticipate that annual sales will fall sharply next month, with expectations at their weakest since March 2021”.
Overall, a balance of 44% sales sales fall, worse than the 32% in November, with 57% expecting the downturn expected to deepen in January.
Sales for the time of year were judged to be “poor” in December, to a greater extent than last month (-31% from -20% in November). Next month’s sales are set to similarly disappoint against seasonal norms (-34%).
Online retail sales volumes also declined at a moderate rate in the year to December, following two consecutive months of growth (-12% from +13% in November). Sales are expected to contract at a steep pace next month (-42%).
Martin Sartorius, Principal Economist, CBI, said: “Retailers reported that annual sales volumes fell rapidly in December, as weak consumer confidence contributed to softer trading conditions in the lead-up to Christmas. Firms do not anticipate any relief in the New Year, with sales expectations deteriorating to their weakest in over four years.”
The next edition of Who’s Next will take place from January 17 to 19, 2026 in Paris, in a format reinvented by WSN. Hall 7 at Porte de Versailles now hosts Room 0126, a new concept bringing together five trade shows: Who’s Next, Bijorhca, Shoppe Object Paris, Salon International de la Lingerie, and Interfilière Paris.
Who’s Next January 2026 floor plan – DR
For Who’s Next, this winter edition aims to meet the immediate needs of multi-brand retailers by organising a clearer separation between ready-to-wear and accessories. “For over 30 years, WSN has been committed to supporting independent retailers. Once again, we are offering them far more than a trade show: a place for exchange, learning, inspiration, and the creation of a business model that fully suits them,” explains Frédéric Maus, CEO of WSN. Who’s Next sits at the heart of the group’s approach; over the past ten years, WSN has gone from organising two events a year to 12.
The organisers explain that the new allocation of space responds to the way retailers now build their assortments around complete silhouettes combining statement pieces with high-volume products. Several players are consolidating their presence, including DK Company with Ichi and B Young, La Fée Maraboutée and Shaft, which is expanding its premium denim offer. Save The Duck is using the show to introduce its womenswear line, while new entrants from retail, such as I Am Active Studios, illustrate the growing shift of consumer-facing concepts towards wholesale. In the Brut Icon space, Outré presents a wardrobe designed for clients seeking distinctive brand universes, confirming the market’s appetite for more assertive identities.
A multi-level show
To accompany these developments, the show’s layout at Porte de Versailles has been reimagined around a Hall 7 transformed into an imaginary hotel, structured by thematic floors. The visitor journey begins with a lobby, then continues into suites devoted to materials, jewellery, design, and accessories, before culminating in a rooftoparea dedicated to fashion and beauty. This scenography clearly delineates the different worlds and makes it easier for buyers to navigate the expanded offering.
The Impact and Neonyt Paris hub affirms its role as a platform dedicated to responsible initiatives. For three days, committed designers, researchers, associations, upcycling experts, and materials-innovation studios present their work in a space structured as a professional hub. Fashion Green Hub showcases its support tools, while the podcast La Seconde Vintage records discussions on second-hand. Biofluff and the Quatre Pattes association address issues linked to textile innovation and the impact on animals. Studio Griffé demonstrates how leveraging archives can be integrated into product strategy, and the HURIYA association organises an upcycling workshop enabling pieces to be transformed on site.
Bijorhca, owned by the BOCI federation and operated by WSN, dedicates this edition to a theme centred on love, which shapes the entire scenography and editorial line. Independent designers, manufacturers, established houses, and stone suppliers present their collections, offering a seasonal overview of jewellery.
Shoppe Object Paris confirms the evolution of fashion retail towards a broader lifestyle proposition. The newcomer brings together an international selection spanning decoration, ceramics, stationery, lifestyle, textiles, and fragrances, meeting the needs of concept stores that now curate their universes beyond apparel.
This year, Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris strengthen their connection. Interfilière remains the focal point for materials, bringing together lace, embroidery, technical jerseys, innovative fibres, and textile solutions. The expanded “Sourcing & Solutions” pathway supports brands across categories- ready-to-wear, lingerie, accessories- in structuring their product projects. This continuity between upstream and downstream offers a complete view of the value chain, from raw material to finished product.
WSN is also showcasing its WSN Academy. In a space designed as a bar-library, the WSN Academy offers a programme of 30-minute masterclasses and individual meetings. Speakers come from across the ecosystem: experts from the French Women’s Ready-to-Wear Federation, Fashion Ecosystem specialists, retail consultants, data analysts, fashion lawyers, experts in marketplaces, branding, and AI applied to commerce and creation. This support addresses the needs of retailers who are simultaneously dealing with purchasing, merchandising, digital communication, financial management, and new regulations.
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The website of ultra-fast-fashion giant Shein won’t be closed down in France during the year-end festivities. In the early afternoon of Friday December 19, a French court has rejected the government’s request for a three-month suspension of Shein, following the discovery of illicit products on the Singapore-based marketplace.
Shein
The public prosecutor’s statements during the hearing of December 5, indicating that a total ban on the site would be disproportionate in terms of EU jurisprudence, did suggest that the court’s decision would go in that direction. But it remains a setback for the French government which, two weeks ago, in a post-hearing statement, reiterated it expected Shein to be heavily sanctioned.
The Paris court has turned down the government’s request for tough measures, pursuant to article 6-3 of the law safeguarding trust in the digital economy, to be taken against Shein.
The government had asked for the marketplace to be blocked or, at the very least, temporarily suspended, following the discovery on its digital aisles of some products like sex dolls looking like very young girls, category A arms, and banned pharmaceuticals.
At the December 5 hearing, the defence attorneys for Shein condemned what they termed a political “conspiracy.”
Shein admitted the products in question had been on sale, but defended itself by stating that they had been immediately withdrawn following the alert, and that it had then taken appropriate action. Shein, which was founded in China but is now based in Singapore, reckon it had responded adequately, even suspending its French site of its own accord.
After November 5, the only products sold by Shein in France are the clothes in its ultra-low-cost, constantly changing collections, made in China mostly using synthetic fabrics. While the site is carrying out a “complete audit” and is working to correct any “flaws.”
However, so long as the site remains accessible, the regulatory and judicial tussle is far from over. France has also asked the EU to impose sanctions on Shein.
Sportswear specialist Runners Need has partnered with Ochy, the artificial intelligence-powered running analysis app “to bring advanced gait and form assessment to stores across the UK”.
Runners Need
Its introduction marks the first time a UK retailer has offered runners an in-store movement analysis powered entirely by AI and signals “a major step forward for the running industry,” we’re told.
Enhancing the need to embrace cutting-edge technology “to elevate the customer experience and transform the traditional shoe-fitting journey”, Ochy’s platform “transforms this process into a fast, science-backed, and highly accessible experience” delivering “informed results in under a minute”.
The two firms said the new service provides detailed insights into asymmetries, stride mechanics, and shoe compatibility.
Rear-view gait analysis is free within 30 days “when a pair of shoes is purchased online or in-store. For a more comprehensive evaluation, side-view analysis is available for £25, providing deeper insight into running mechanics, including the rear-view assessment at no additional cost. Without a shoe purchase, the rear-view gait analysis is priced £15.
Andy Dopson, head of Retail at Runners Need, said: “Whatever our customers goals are, we want to make sure that they have confidence that their shoes will help them achieve it.”
Politics8 years ago